If there was a carcinogen at work in the Australian team on day one at Lord's, it was not at detectable levels.

It made a jaunty beginning, as if to give the Queen yet another of those presents for which she has absolutely no use. Then for hours, it was made to toil in a way that would have depleted a weakling's immune system. A guileless pitch, some waywardness, injury, an untimely no-ball and the ever broader blade of Ian Bell all acted as stressors. Then via a surprising and almost experimental agency, it perked up again at the end with three more wickets.

"Heatwave," blared the newspaper headlines. A health warning was issued. In the Lord's pavilion, permission was granted for the removal of jackets. Duly, the temperature ticked over 30 degrees. And England won the toss. If there are fractures in this Australian team, this would be the day that would open them up as if with a crowbar.

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So all eyes turned from time to time to slips, where the team's kitchen cabinet stood, presiding over policy and morale. Here was Whitlam and Cairns if you like, or Howard and Costello, under the queen's gaze, if not auspices. Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, the vice-captain, appointed to break their impasse, stood beside them; he was the leader of the National Party.

At first, Clarke was a King Midas, from the mythical leadership tradition. Everything he touched turned to wickets. Displeased with James Pattinson's erring line with the new ball, he reassigned it after two overs to Watson, who immediately trapped Alistair Cook. At over's end, Clarke and Watson slapped hands heartily. Three times this day, Clarke's change of bowler would produce an immediate wicket. Of course, he makes lots of changes; that is his energetic style.

The Ashes: Australia v England

At the other end, hustling and bustling Ryan Harris shot out Joe Root and Kevin Pietersen three balls apart. The ball was judged to have nicked Root's pad one blurry frame before it clipped his bat, and so he was lbw. Next, there will be reviews of DRS, as if to a higher court. Nonetheless, England lost three wickets in 10 balls, and was 3/28.

Here was a strength fortified. Watson would act two roles, as authentic part of the attack, and as a foil for Harris. So it was that Harris bowled more overs than any other Australian, yet never more than four or five at time. On a day when Pattinson and Peter Siddle struggled, this became crucial.

Physically, Harris and Watson are of a type, with the aspect of a pillbox, not to be confused with Essendon's medical kit. They lever their way to the wicket with their elbows and hurl it down on a reliable line. On their worst days, both look laboured. On their best, they look reassuringly solid. Thankfully, neither broke down, though the the odds on one or the other would have been short.

In slips, the committee deliberated. Watson at first slip was Sphinx-like. When not in action, he stood variously with his hands on his hips, knees or even in his pockets, in a slouch's disposition. Later in the infield, ditto. It is merely personal affectation, but makes him look reluctant. In fact, this day, he was ever willing.

Watson was the mountain, Clarke Mohammed. He was perpetual motion, incessant voice. Constantly, he made small adjustments to the field, six times in one Harris over late in the day, like an artist dabbing at a corner of a canvas until it was just so. This irritates classicists, but with this mostly Gen Y team, it works.

But the middle of the day was long and barren. Trott and Bell settled, the sun beat down, pitch and ball deflated. For an hour after lunch, it was as if the Australian bowlers were chanting to themselves to keep it away from Trott's legs and kept bowling it there, mesmerised. But he has one foible, the way he takes a half-step forward to every ball, and at length he played a shot was neither pull nor glance at Harris, but was caught. Rarely will Trott hit the ball better for less than 100.

Jonny Bairstow joined Bell. His game is like his name, not quite conventional, and for a moment missing its middle when he played around a Siddle incutter and was bowled. But Siddle had overstepped, a demoralising mistake, not least because it has become chronic. Meantime, tyro Ashton Agar was forced out of the attack by hip soreness. The pitch baked like a Test Match Special cake, complete with icing and eating utensils.

In one of the morning's ceremonies, Steve Waugh had rung a bell, but it was the batting namesake that rang too familiar for more than five hours. It is not too profane to say that in the way Bell balanced himself up at the crease, so that every shot was of a piece with the ball bowled, there was something of Tendulkar about him. His batsmanship was imperturbable, his century inevitable.

Blunted, the Australians could only play a waiting game. Fortunately, they were better at it than than fidgeting alter egos who awaited the Queen in the morning. They donned sunhats, took on water, and Clarke became like a climber on Everest, trying to make good decisions while in a deprived state. The committee, now more widespread, met less. But the spirit stayed intact. At length, Clarke followed one of those hunches that has distinguished his captaincy and threw the ball to Steve Smith, a loose leg-spinner, this evening a cannon.

In bewildering 22-ball succession, Smith had Bell caught at slip, Bairstow caught from a full toss and Matt Prior caught at the wicket. It is problematic who was more surprised: England, Smith or his hair. The day finished as it began, with Australia swarming over England. Clarke was his own envoy now, brimming with ideas for a further wicket. Watson, by his standards, cheer led. At stumps, Clarke went to every player. He had said this team was a united force, and now it exited shoulder-to-shoulder. It was even in front on the DRS count.

A warning, though: no cracks was evident in Australia's psyche, but fissures were in the pitch, already. On it on Friday, England will bowl.

6 comments so far

Oh what a difference a Boof makes! Who said coaches are just for getting to the ground in? Not so.

Commenter

Wal

Date and time

July 19, 2013, 8:28AM

Good to see us take 7, but we bowled quite poorly in between the wicket taking balls. Too much on the pads to guys who were fishing at good balls a fraction outside off. I feel if we can get our line right our attack is capable of knocking the english over cheaply more often than not

Commenter

Mick

Date and time

July 19, 2013, 9:28AM

Strange poll results. I would take 7/almost 300 at Lords any day (Avge 1st innings score is 313) and consider England nicely in front. Hopefully not for long

Commenter

Noddy Namdarb

Location

Deep Fine Leg

Date and time

July 19, 2013, 9:41AM

Cancer/carcinogen jokes -- not funny.

Commenter

BeachBoy

Date and time

July 19, 2013, 9:45AM

The beauty of Mr Arthur's legal claim being made public property is that it has given the Australians a villian on which to hang the past, and with the united focus of the Ashes and the old foe in the Poms of course all is forgiven that is not blamed on Mr Arthur. Very neatly stage managed by Boof & co. Cmon Aussie Cmon.

19 Jul
Whenever this Ashes series appears to be one thing, it turns into another. On Thursday afternoon, large sections of the Lord's crowd booed Stuart Broad all the way from the pavilion to the wicket, until they realised he was Jimmy Anderson.

19 Jul
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland says the Australian team culture is unrecognisable from the one left following Mickey Arthur's sacking, adding that he is ''very comfortable with our legal position'' in relation to the ex-coach.